Two men sentenced in Falmouth beach concession stand theft

A North Falmouth man was sentenced Thursday to six months at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility, and another was put on probation for a year, after both pleaded guilty to breaking into an Old Silver Beach concession stand last month.

FALMOUTH – A North Falmouth man was sentenced Thursday to six months at the Barnstable County Correctional Facility, and another was put on probation for a year, after both pleaded guilty to breaking into an Old Silver Beach concession stand last month.

James Pierson, 45, of North Falmouth Highway, was arrested July 18 on charges of breaking and entering, larceny and destruction of property charges after he pried open a concession stand window and loaded a bag with candy and other food, Falmouth police wrote in a report.

Pierson received a six-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to all three charges, though prosecutors recommended a one-year sentence, according to court records.

A security camera captured Pierson also opening a cash register and taking food out of a freezer, according to the arrest report. As he loaded food into a bag, Pierson could be heard shouting out the name “Brian” and handing some of the food to his accomplice outside the pried-open window.

On North Falmouth Highway, police later arrested Brian Bortz, 46, who was found sleeping in a tent in the backyard, and charged him with breaking and entering, larceny and destruction of property. An officer arrested Pierson after knocking on his apartment door, according to the police report.

Bortz pleaded guilty to breaking and entering, and prosecutors dismissed the larceny and destruction of property charges.

As part of his one-year probation, Bortz was ordered to stay away from Old Silver Beach.